Language

In order to truly understand an art or discipline, we must understand the culture that gave rise to it. And in order to understand the culture, we must cultivate an understanding of the language. Below are common words and phrases used in our school. It is of course impossible to boil down an entire language into a brief informational page, but this can be used as a starting point from which to explore the Chinese language and the words/phrases we use in our daily classes.

Four Tones of Chinese

Four Tones of Chinese

Some quick notes about pronunciation: standard Chinese - also referred to as Mandrin, or Pǔtōnghuà (普通话) - is a tonal language. Vowels are given tones that change the way the word is said, in turn changing the meaning. This makes the phrase, "It's not what you say but how you say it," very important. There are four tones:

  • 1st: This is a higher-pitched, steady tone on the vowel.
  • 2nd: This tone starts mid-pitched and rises towards the end of the vowel.
  • 3rd: A falling-rising tone, it starts low, dips, and then increases in pitch.
  • 4th: Falling tone, usually short, going from a high to low pitch

A word pronounced with the wrong tone changes meaning. But, it should be noted that even though the language is tonal, like most languages, it is also contextual. Though you can be misunderstood by having bad pronunciation of the tones - or at minimum made fun-of 😉 - the words surrounding the mispronounced word give it context, which means you will probably be understood unless you really garble your words.

Stances

马步   (mǎ bù): Horse Stance

半马步   (bàn mǎ bù): Half Horse Stance

弓步   (gōng bù): Bow Stance

仆步   (pū bù): Flat Stance

虚步   (xū bù): Empty Stance ("cat stance")

歇步   (xiē bù): Resting Stance

独立步   (dúlì bù): One-legged Stance

并步   (bìng bù): Ready Stance (feet together)

坐盘   (zuò pán): Sit as a tray/dish

Body Parts

   (shǒu): Hand

  (tóu): Head

拳   (quán): Fist

脚   (jiǎo): Foot

  (tuǐ): Leg

大腿   (dàtuǐ): Thigh

小腿   (xiǎotuǐ): Calf

腰   (yāo): Waist

  (zhǒu): Elbow

腕   (wàn): Wrist

脚踝   (jiǎohuái): Ankle

Counting

  (yī): One

二   (èr): Two

三   (sān): Three

  (sì): Four

  (wǔ): Five

六   (liù): Six

  (qī): Seven

  (bā): Eight

  (jiǔ): Nine

  (shí): Ten

Wushu Phrases & Techniques

压腿   (yā tuǐ): Stretching

踢腿   (tī tuǐ): Kicks / Kicking

拳法   (quánfǎ): Boxing / punching techniques

步法  (bù fǎ): Footwork / stance practice

里合腿   (lǐ hé tuǐ): Inside Crescent Kick

外摆腿   (wài bǎi tuǐ): Outside Crescent Kick

弹腿   (dàn tuǐ): Snap Kick

拍腿   (pāi tuǐ): Slap Kick

侧腿   (cè tuǐ): Side Kick

活动   (huódòng): Warm up (activity)

休息 (xiūxí): Rest

开始 (kāishǐ) - Begin

(tíng) - Stop

(zuǒ) - Left

(yòu) - Right

散打 (sǎndǎ) - Loose hit / free hit ("sparring")

散手 (sàn shǒu) - Loose hand / free hand

实战姿势 (Shízhàn zīshì) - Fighting Stance (lit. "combat posture" or "real fighting position")

进步 (jìnbù) - Forward step (lit. "progress" or "advance")

退步 (tuìbù) - Back step (lit. "regress")

闪步 (shǎn bù) - Sidestep

冲拳 (chōng quán) - Reverse punch

掼拳 (guàn quán) - Hook punch

抄拳 (chāo quán) - Uppercut

General Phrases

你好   (nǐ hǎo): Hello

你好吗 (nǐ hǎo ma): How are you?

谢谢   (xièxiè): Thank you

不客气   (bù kèqì): You're welcome

再见   (zàijiàn): See You / Goodbye

对不起   (duìbùqǐ): Pardon me /  I'm sorry

請   (qǐng): Please (as in "Please, may I ask...", qǐngwèn, 請問)

好 (hǎo): Good

很好 (hěn hǎo): Very good

大好 (dàhǎo): Excellent

加油 (jiāyóu): Make an all-out effort

是 (shì): Yes

(duì): Correct

(huì): Can (as in "I can...", wǒ huì, 我会)

不是 (bùshì): No

(bùduì): Wrong / incorrect

不会 (bùhuì): Cannot

什么? (shénme): What?